Educational appliance.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD RODNEY, OF RICHMOND HILL, NEW YORK.

EDUCATIONAL APPLIANCE.

Application filed May 14, 1912.

T all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Finwnno RooNnY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Richmond Hill, in the county of Queens and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Educational Appliances, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to educational appliances, and in particular to those appliances wherein a number of movable objects are exposed to view for the purpose of in struction and practice in reading.

An object of the invention is the provision of a plurality of movable objects having characters inscribed on corresponding faces thereof and adapted to be normally maintained in vertical position irrespective of the inclination or reversal of the frame in which the objects are mounted.

Other objects of the invention will appear as the following specific description is read in connection with the accompanying drawing which forms a part of this application, in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of the device. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of one of the movable objects. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken through one of the movable objects.

In the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the frame which is comprised of the longitudinal rails 2 which are arranged parallel to each other, and the parallel cross rails 3 which connect the extremities of the rails 2. Gross rods l are mounted between the rails 3 in relatively spaced, parallel relation to each other. A plurality of movable objects 5 are slidably mounted on the rods 4. These objects 5 are substantially eggshaped and their rod receiving openings 6 are disposed above their centers of gravity, so that when suspended upon the rods 4 they will be normally maintained in vertical position. The opposite portions of these objects 5 are flattened to form opposed faces 7 upon which any desirable characters may be inscribed. A suitable handle 8, which in Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 16, 1915.

sci-m1 No. 697,257.

this particular instance is shown to be formed of bent wire, is secured to one of the longitudinal rails 2 of the frame, as in this case by inserting the extremities 9 of the wire into openings 10 provided in the rail 2.

It will be seen that this particular construction enables the demonstrator to support the device by holding the handle either in a downward position or by inverting the position of the handle without afiecting the normally vertical position of the movable objects. This is due to the fact that the objects are suspended above their centers of gravity. Their being substantially eggshaped in form permits their being pivoted approximately at the centers of their longitudinal axes, thus preserving their symmetrical appearance which is a quality ever present in the use of spherical objects in such an appliance.

I claim 1. An educational appliance comprising a frame, a cross rod mounted within the frame, and a plurality of objects slidably and rotatably mounted upon said rod, each object being provided with a transverse opening extending substantially through its geometrical center for the reception of the said rod, the outer faces of each object being constructed so as to diverge downwardly and being adapted for the delineation of characters thereon.

2. An educational appliance comprising a frame, a cross rod mounted within said frame,and a plurality of objects slidably and rotatably mounted upon said rod, each object being substantially egg shaped and being provided with a transverse opening extending substantially through its geometrical center for the reception of said rod.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDWVARD ROONEY.

W itnesses ARTHUR C. HANLON, GEORGE GALBRAITH.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, 1). G. 

